Big changes are in the works for next year’s BBQ & Blues Festival, with the board’s decision to join the world’s largest organization of BBQ and grilling enthusiasts by becoming a member of the Kansas City BBQ Society.

KCBS is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and enjoying barbecue. It has more than 20,000 members and sanctions more than 500 barbecue contests world wide. This organization promises to be a step up from the Florida BBQ Association with their 800 members and sanctioning of more than 30 contests a year across five states. KCBS is a larger organization that continues to grow every year and is expected to help with the expanding of the BBQ & Blues Festival.